Your agent will handle the biggest transaction most people ever make. Here is how to check one properly, using the same public records and rules the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) publishes, before you sign anything.
A good property agent is registered, experienced in your kind of property, and transparent on paper. You can check most of this yourself in 10 minutes on the CEA Public Register, then confirm the rest in one conversation.
Most people choose an agent the way they choose a restaurant: a friend's recommendation, a familiar face from a listing, or whoever answered the enquiry first. That works until something goes wrong. The good news is that Singapore has one of the most transparent agent systems anywhere. Every agent is registered with the Council for Estate Agencies, their recent transactions are public, and the key contracts follow a standard form. Here is how to use all of it.
1. Is the agent registered? Every property agent in Singapore must be registered with CEA through a licensed agency and has a unique registration number in the format R123456A. Doing estate agency work without registration is an offence. Look the agent up on the CEA Public Register.
Search by phone number, not just by name. CEA's advice is to enter the phone number of the person you're actually talking to. If that number doesn't lead to an agent profile, it isn't registered with CEA, and CEA says it is likely a scam, even if the name and registration number someone gave you do appear on the register. Scammers borrow real agents' names; they can't borrow their registered phone numbers.
2. What have they actually done? Each agent's register profile shows the residential transactions they facilitated in the last two years, and which party they represented. This is the single most useful thing on the page. Look for three things:
| Look at | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Property type | An agent who mostly does rentals may not be the right person to sell your executive flat or condo |
| Area | Recent deals in your town or district mean they know current prices and buyers there |
| Who they represented | Mostly sellers or mostly buyers? Pick someone experienced on your side of the deal |
| Volume over time | Steady activity is a better sign than one busy month |
3. Any awards or disciplinary records? The same profile shows industry accolades and any disciplinary records. An award isn't proof of fit, but a disciplinary record is something to ask about directly.
4. Do their ads carry the right details? Property ads must show the agent's name, CEA registration number and phone number, plus the agency's name and licence number. (Short classifieds and text ads only need the name and phone number.) An agent who is careless here may be careless elsewhere.
5. Will they put it in a CEA prescribed agreement? CEA provides standard estate agency agreements that set out the agent's duties, the commission and a declaration of any conflict of interest. For buying and selling homes there are four: non-exclusive for sellers (Form 1) and buyers (Form 2), and exclusive for sellers (Form 5) and buyers (Form 6). CEA encourages you to use one even with an agent you know well, and to sign it before work starts: before your home is advertised if you're selling, before viewings if you're buying. It also matters later: CEA's Dispute Resolution Scheme is only available if you signed a prescribed agreement.
6. Is the commission agreed and clear? CEA states plainly that commissions are not fixed and are negotiable, and there are no prescribed rates. Agree the amount or rate before work begins, ask whether GST is included (only GST-registered agencies can charge it), and make sure it is written in the agreement. Extra terms go in the space provided or on the separate pink sheet, and can't override the standard terms.
7. Exclusive or non-exclusive: do you understand what you're signing?
| Exclusive | Non-exclusive | |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies | One | More than one |
| Validity | Up to 3 months | No fixed period |
| Who gets paid | The appointed agency, even if you sell through someone else or on your own during the period | The agency that completes the deal |
| After it ends | Commission is still due for 3 months if the buyer or tenant was introduced during the agreement | Not applicable |
Exclusive agreements usually get you more effort and marketing spend from the agent. Non-exclusive ones give you flexibility. Either can be right; what matters is that you choose knowingly.
8. They act for you, and only you. Since 15 November 2010, an agent cannot be appointed by both the buyer and the seller, or both landlord and tenant, in the same transaction. They also can't collect commission from you and a co-broke fee from the other side. They may help the other party with paperwork only if you agree, it's clear they don't act for that party, and they charge them nothing.
9. They never touch your transaction money. Handling transaction monies is an offence for agents. That covers the option fee, option exercise fee, down payment, deposits, stamp duties, sale proceeds and legal fees, and for HDB rentals, the deposit and monthly rent. Pay these directly to the right party by bank transfer, PayNow or crossed cheque. Commission is paid to the agency, not the agent personally.
If anyone asks you to transfer an option fee or deposit to their personal account, stop. It doesn't matter how friendly or experienced they seem. A legitimate agent will never ask.
10. They co-broke openly. Co-broking means two agents, each representing a different party, work together, and share commission between themselves. Listings marked "no agents", "buyers only" or "already co-broke" are not acceptable under CEA's guidance, and an agent can't stop a buyer from viewing or making an offer just because the buyer won't engage them. As a seller, an agent who co-brokes widely puts your home in front of more buyers.
11. They declare conflicts and referral fees. Your agent must act in your best interests, tell you about any conflict of interest and any referral fees they receive (from a lawyer, banker or renovation firm, for example), and must not introduce or recommend moneylenders.
12. They can show you a plan, not just a promise. This one isn't a CEA rule, but it separates good agents from the rest. Ask:
| Ask | A good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| How did you arrive at this price? | Recent transactions of similar units, adjusted for floor, facing and condition, not just the asking prices of other listings |
| How will you market my home? | Specific channels, photography or video, and how they'll reach co-broking agents and their buyers |
| How will you keep me updated? | A regular rhythm, plus every offer and expression of interest passed on, as CEA requires |
| What would make you advise me not to sell or buy now? | An honest, specific answer. Every agent has one if they're thinking about your situation |
Any one of these is reason enough to look elsewhere:
The phone number doesn't lead to a CEA profile. They want to start before signing an agreement, or won't use the prescribed form. They ask you to pay any transaction money to them. They offer to "handle both sides" or take a fee from the other party. They promise a price far above recent transactions to win your listing, a common tactic that usually ends in a long wait and a price cut. They pressure you to sign today or decide on the spot.
Google and portal reviews are useful, but read them for specifics rather than stars. A review that names the estate, the flat type and something the agent actually did tells you far more than "very helpful". Then compare what the reviews say with the agent's transaction record on the CEA register. When the two line up, you have a strong signal.
After more than 300 transactions, the pattern I see is simple: most problems between clients and agents start because expectations were never written down. That's exactly what the prescribed agreement is for. A good agent will be the one asking you to sign it, not the one avoiding it.
Check me the same way. I'm Bryan Koh, Associate Group Director at PropNex, CEA registration R057877D. Search my number, +65 9698 9189, on the CEA Public Register and you'll see my registration and my recent transactions. I'd rather you verify than take my word for it.
And interview more than one agent. Ask each the four questions in check 12. The right agent for you is the one whose answers are specific to your home and your plans, even when the answer is "wait".
Thinking of selling or buying and want a second opinion on price, timing or an agreement you've been given? Happy to take a look, no obligation.
WhatsApp Bryan → More guides →Sources: Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), Check if your property agent is registered (updated 4 Sep 2026), What to take note of when engaging a property agent (updated 13 May 2026), Buying or selling, No dual representation, and the CEAnergy article on prescribed estate agency agreements (13 Feb 2026). Rules can change; check the CEA website for the latest. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
No pressure, no obligation. Tell me what you're working through and I'll get back to you within 24 hours to arrange a time that works.
Your details are used solely to follow up on your consultation request. No spam, ever.